Utility cart

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a utility cart having a uni-construction comprising a shell-like body with a leading low-bed portion followed by first and second integrally formed, box-shaped carriage housings, the housings being separated by an intermediate bed portion which is integrally attached to the opposing lower sides of each housing. The top walls of each housing are provided with a plurality of vertical receptacles for receiving various tools or articles which are adapted to be removably interconnected to a handle, the handle being removably secured to a steering means movably supported in the leading lowbed portion. A pair of wheels are operably supported in the rear area of the body whereby, together with the steering means, the cart can be transported.

United States Patent [1 1 Rasmussen et al.

[ 51 Jan. 29, 1974 UTILITY CART [73] Assignee: James M. Rasmussen,Inglewood,

Calif.; Part interest [22] Filed: Mar. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 235,479

[52] U.S. Cl. 280/47.11, 280/792 [51] Int. Cl B62b 3/00 [58] Field ofSearch 280/47.1l, 47.35, 47.34,

Primary Examiner-Kenneth H. Betts Assistant Examiner-John A. PekarAttorney, Agent, or FirmFrancis X. Lo Jacono, Sr.

[ ABSTRACT There is disclosed a utility cart having a uniconstructioncomprising a shell-like body with a leading low-bed portion followed byfirst and second integrally formed, box-shaped carriage housings, thehousings being separated by an intermediate bed portion which isintegrally attached to the opposing lower sides of each housing. The topwalls of each housing are provided with a plurality of verticalreceptacles for receiving various tools or articles which are adapted tobe removably interconnected to a handle, the handle being removablysecured to a steering means movably supported in the leading low-bedportion. A pair of wheels are operably supported in the rear area of thebody whereby, together with the steering means, the cart can betransported.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures UTILITY CART BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.Field of the Invention This invention relates to utility carts or wagonsand more particularly to pull carts which are designed for use ingardening and the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art As is well known in the art, variousproblems and difficulties have been encountered in providing anapparatus having suitable means whereby the average individual can takeproper care of his garden with a minimum amount of work and a minimumnumber of gardening tools. Heretofore, various types of wheelbarrels,wagons, and poorly designed carts have been employed by gardeningenthusiasts. These above items lack the necessary cooperating means forcarrying such items as trash cans, rakes, hoes, brooms, shovels andvarious other objects. It can be understood, therefore, that time andenergy are wasted in taking these items out of storage and, afterworking with them, returning them to the proper storage area. It is feltby the applicants that a cart providing carriage means for variousinterrelated tools would be a welcome improvement over the art and, totheir knowledge, there is no apparatus having features to provide thesolutions to the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention herein discloses anapparatus for use as a utility cart whereby various gardening tools anddevices can be carried with the cart, and, in addition, can be used tohaul various trash containers supported thereon for disposing of grasscuttings, leaves, etc. The cart comprises a monolithic, shell-like bodyhaving a leading low-bed frame portion followed by an integrally formed,box-shaped carriage housing. This carriage housing is interconnected toa second rearwardly disposed carriage housing by an intermediate low-bedframe which is integrally formed to the opposing vertical walls of eachcarriage housing. Each-housing includes a top wall having a plurality ofopenings forming vertical receptacles adapted to receive various headportions of gardening tools and like instruments. That is, a shovelhead, broom head, etc., are capable of being supported in theabove-mentioned receptacles, and each is provided with securing meanswhereby the cart handle is removed from the forward steering means andis attached to any one specific tool.

There is a rear wheel assembly operably supported within the body shellalong with the steering means which is rotatably mounted in the forwardlow-bed frame for ease of transporting the cart and its accompanyingarticles.

Included as an integral part of the shell-like body is a rearcompartment wherein a variety of miscellaneous items such as chemicals,gloves, shears, etc., are stored.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION The present invention has for animportant object a provision whereby a compact utility cart is capableof a multiplicity of uses and incorporates means for carrying,simultaneously, a trash container along with a variety of garden tools.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a utility cartfor use in gardening which has a uniconstructed, shell-like body.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a utility cartwherein the steering handle is also used as a handle for each tool headthat is adapted to be carried by said body.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus of thischaracter that is easy to service and maintain.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus ofthis character that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thischaracter that is simple and rugged in construction.

Other characteristics, advantages and objects of this invention can bemore readily appreciated from the following description and appendedclaims. When taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, thisdescription forms a part of the specification wherein like referencesand characters designate corresponding parts in several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring more particularly to theaccompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top-plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side-elevational view illustrating a trash containersupported thereon;

FIG. 4 is a rear-elevational view of the utility cart;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.2 showing the steering means of said invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly tothe drawing, there is shown a utility cart having a uniconstructed,monolithic, shell-like body particularly designed for use in gardenareas where there is a need for hauling plant cuttings and/or soil, andrelated bulk items, as well as a variety of tools. However, it is to beunderstood that the present invention is not restricted thereto and willaccommodate other utilities.

The body shell is generally indicated by reference character 10comprising a forward lower bed frame 12 having a flat upper wall 14which is provided with a depending flange member 16 whereby said bedframe 12 is held in a rigid condition. The lower bed frame 12 extendsrearwardly and is integrally connected to a boxshaped carriage housing,generally indicated at 18, and defined by a forward wall 20 which isdesigned to be an integral extension of the flat upper wall 14 of thelower bed frame 12, said housing including oppositely disposed sidewalls 22 and a rear wall 24. Said front wall 20, rear wall 24 and sidewalls 22 are all integrally joined to form the box-shaped configurationby top wall 26. Centrally positioned and evenly spaced within the topwall 26 is a plurality of receptacles 28, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.Each receptacle is defined by an opening 30 within the top wall 26 towhich a tubular sleeve 32 is affixed, said tubular sleeve beingconnected to the lower surface thereof and being in axial alignment withsaid opening 30. These receptacles are provided therein to receivevarious heads related particularly to garden tools, such as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, said tool heads being represented as hoes, shovels,brooms, etc.

Extending further to the rear and following the first box-shaped housing18, there is provided an intermediate lower bed frame, generallyindicated at 32. Because of the uni-construction feature of thisinvention, the lower bed flat-top wall 36 is also an integral part ofthe shell-like body and is formed as an extension of rear wall 24 of thecarriage 18. From here to the top wall there is provided reinforcing,de-pending side flanges 36. Thus, this intermediate bed frame 32provides a void or open space between the forward first boxshapedcarriage l8 and the rear second box-shaped carriage housing, indicatedgenerally at 40. The rear carriage housing is constructed in a similarmanner to said forward carriage having a front vertical wall 42integrally secured to top wall 34 of the intermediate frame 32, togetherwith side walls 44 and top wall 46, which is also provided with aplurality of receptacles 48 defined in the same manner as receptacles28. However, the rear portion of carriage housing 40 is adapted to carryvarious items such as chemicals, gloves, shears, etc. This isaccomplished by providing a cavity 50, as seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, saidcavity being defined by an enlarged opening 52 in the rear wall 54 and apartition 56 depending from the upper top wall 46, and having a shelfdisposed between said partition 56 and said rear wall 54.

It is contemplated that a vacuum-forming process will be used to formthe body. However, various known methods can be used as alternatives.Therefore, plastic, such as fiberglass, is intended as the most likelymaterial to be used that would be compatible to the intended process,which will provide a very economical end product.

The shell-like body is transported from one area to another by steeringmeans 60 rotatably supported in the forward lower bed frame 12, asbetter seen in FIG. 6, and further including a rear wheel assembly,indicated generally at 62, having oppositely disposed bearing wheels 64rotatably supported by a transverse axle 65 journaled in any suitablemanner in the rear area of body frame 10.

Referring particularly to FIG. 6, the steering means 60 is illustratedas being supported by top wall 14 through opening 66, and held inrotating relationship thereto by circular flanges 68 and 69,respectively. Flange 68 is adapted with upwardly extending ears 70between which a handle-mounting bar 72 is operably disposed by pin 73,said bar having a threaded recess at its free end to receivecorrespondingly threaded handle 74. To prevent said handle from droppingout of reach of the operator thereof, a spring 75 is vertically disposedin the base member 76 so as to engage with said mounting bar 73, therebylimiting downward movement of the handle 74. Depending from saidcircular flange 69, there is formed a pair of oppositely disposed ears77 between which is rotatably mounted a guide wheel 78.

The threaded end 80 of handle 74 is also adapted to be received withinthe free ends of each tool head, thereby providing a multiplicity ofgarden tools when required.

In addition to the tools, various trash containers, indicated at 82 inFIGS. 3 and 4, can be accommodated between the first housing 18 and thesecond housing 40, said container 82 being supported on the intermediateframe 32. Generally provided on most trash containers is a pair ofoppositely disposed handles 84. Thus, to prevent the container fromtipping over, each handle is secured to its respective correspondinghousing by a securing means, shown as hold-down straps 86 and 88,respectively. Each strap is attached at one end thereof to oppositelydisposed eye hooks 90 and removably attached to each handle 84. Said eyehooks 90 are mounted to the inward edge of each housing.

The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from theforegoing description and it will be apparent that various changes maybe madein the form, construction and arrangement of parts of theinvention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof orsacrificing its material advantages, the arrangement hereinbeforedescribed being merely by way of example, and we do not wish to berestricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned, except asdefined in the ccompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A utility cart and the like comprising:

a uniconstructed body formed as a monolithic shell,

said body having a leading low-bed frame,

a first carriage housing,

a second carriage housing, wherein each of said carriage housings hasfront, back, side and top walls formed as integral parts of said body,

an intermediate low-bed frame integrally attached between said first andsecond carriage housings, and

a plurality of vertical receptacles disposed within said first andsecond housings, and wherein said receptacles are defined by openingshaving tubular sleeves depending downwardly therefrom;

a steering means operably mounted in said leading low-bed frame, saidsteering means comprising:

a handle having one end thereof threaded,

a rotatably mounted base member,

a handle-mounting bar movably attached to said base member and adaptedto removably receive said handle, and

a wheel rotatably mounted to the lower portion of said base member.

2. A utility cart as recited in claim 1, including a multiplicity ofvarious heads of tools adapted to be removably received in saidreceptacles and removably attached to the threaded end of said handlewhen said handle is removed from said cart.

1. A utility cart and the like comprising: a uniconstructed body formed as a monolithic shell, said body having a leading low-bed frame, a first carriage housing, a second carriage housing, wherein each of said carriage housings has front, back, side and top walls formed as integral parts of said body, an intermediate low-bed frame integrally attached between said first and second carriage housings, and a plurality of vertical receptacles disposed within said first and second housings, and wherein said receptacles are defined by openings having tubular sleeves depending downwardly therefrom; a steering means operably mounted in said leading low-bed frame, said steering means comprising: a handle having one end thereof threaded, a rotatably mounted base member, a handle-mounting bar movably attached to said base member and adapted to removably receive said handle, and a wheel rotatably mounted to the lower portion of said base member.
 2. A utility cart as recited in claim 1, including a multiplicity of various heads of tools adapted to be removably received in said receptacles and removably attached to the threaded end of said handle when said handle is removed from said cart. 